In the final year of her business degree, Phuong has her future all mapped out. Finish studying, then go home and save her family’s business. Until her father dies and it all falls apart. Broke and jobless, she stumbles on a solution: find herself an Australian husband. Fast.

She’s not looking for love – Phuong doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Her marriage will be a business deal, pure and simple. But when she meets her husband-to-be and discovers he’s a reclusive rock star living at Romance Island Resort, maybe it’s time to believe a girl can live happily ever after.

Jason didn’t wait for the rotors to stop before he leaped out of the helicopter door and sprinted for the hotel entrance.

He burst through the door and skidded to a stop in front of the Reception desk. “Where’s Audra?” Jason demanded. She was the only girl who could make him forget Angel. The only girl who could make this right. He needed her. Now.

The blonde girl at Reception stared at him. “We don’t have anyone named Audra here, sir.”

“Of course you do. Best maid I ever met. Tell her I’m here, and to meet me at my accommodation. I had Villa Maxima last time. The one with the huge spa tub in the bathroom. And make sure we have plenty of mango beer. Mangoes are her favourite.”

A second girl sidled behind the Reception desk next to the blonde. She looked Japanese, but her accent had Aussie overtones as she asked, “Did you say Audra? She was mad about mangoes. I bet Audra’s missing those now she’s in Antarctica.”

Jason laughed. “Antarctica? Don’t be ridiculous.” He turned his eyes back to the blonde. “Can you let her know I’m here?”

She looked lost until her eyes fixed on someone behind Jason. “Oh, Mr Meier, this man’s looking for Audra. He doesn’t believe that she’s gone.”

An older man with a professional smile held out his hand. “Good morning, Mr ah – ”

Ross Campbell vanished almost a decade ago, and since then nothing has been heard from the serial killer known as Teardrop…until now.

An Irish newspaper receives a chilling letter claiming to be from Campbell, which promises a new reign of terror. As death stalks the dark streets of Cork City, it soon becomes clear to the police and the media that a serial killer is on the loose.

Elizabeth Ireland, a former detective with The Metropolitan Police, was the lead investigator on the original case when Campbell vanished. However, only she believes that Campbell didn’t send the letter.

She embarks upon a frightening psychological journey to uncover the killer’s identity, where she’s pulled into a lethal game in which the killer sets the rules and waits for her next move. With the crimes of the past echoing in the present, can she find the killer before he comes for her?

Chapter One

The cold rain fell relentlessly, shrouding Cork City in its misty veil. Elizabeth Ireland sat by the window of her favourite coffee shop, where the smell of fresh scones and strong coffee cocooned her from the encroaching winter. The place was quiet and rundown but it was the one place in the city that cherished silence as much as she did.

Elizabeth scanned BBC London’s website for any news from home. She glanced up as the door chimed and watched the man violently shake off the rain. A moment before their eyes met, she averted her gaze, knowing he was looking for her; Brendan Mahon didn’t have the intelligence or subtlety to feign an accidental meeting. She ignored him, hoping that he’d take the hint and leave her in peace, instead he headed straight for her table.

“Morning,” she said curtly. She watched him run his fingers through his dirty blond hair, in a way that someone with a cruel sense of humour must have told him was attractive.

“It’s a day for the ducks,” he said.

She shrugged and turned back to her iPad.

Brendan Mahon was a journalist with The Examiner, one of Ireland’s leading newspapers. When his editor couldn’t find anyone with anything more incisive to say, Brendan was handy to fill a column or two. Elizabeth had never liked him, and she had no problem making her feelings known.

“May I join you?” he asked.

“No.” She sighed at his predictability.

He laughed and pulled up a chair anyway. It amazed her how he always took her blatant rudeness for sarcasm. He placed a brown envelope on the table between them. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking at it. If he wanted something from her, he’d have to ask.

“Would you like anything?” he asked instead.

“I’ve been coming here most mornings for the past nine years, Brendan. I think I can order for myself.”

“What did you have to eat?” he asked, ignoring her brusque tone. He picked up the menu, and she closed her iPad, already missing her lost solitude.

“Same again, please, Nora,” Elizabeth said to the waitress.

“I haven’t seen you in here before,” Nora smiled down at him.

“This is Brendan, a reporter from The Examiner.”

Nora’s tired eyes lit up. “A reporter? How exciting.”

Brendan leaned back in his chair and basked in the unexpected attention.

“He’ll have an Americano and a scone, please,” Elizabeth interrupted, not in the mood for flirting at that hour of the morning.

“Coming right up.” Nora scurried away.

“Let’s skip the niceties and get straight to the point, shall we? What can I do for you, Brendan?”

“I need your help.”

“What sort of help?”

“I have a story.”

“It must be big news if you’re talking to me.”

“It’s big.”

She glanced at the envelope that sat tantalisingly between them, and silently cursed for showing an interest. “Spit it out!” she snapped.

“A letter was delivered to my office.”

“For you?”

“Yes, for me; it happens, occasionally. It arrived a few days ago. Only my editor and I know about it. We want to publish it, but first we want to check the facts.”

“And you’d like me to check them out?”

“Yes, if you’re interested.” He smirked.

“So I’d be a consultant?”

“You’d be our expert. You’d write a few background and follow-up pieces with your impressions and opinions. You’d be paid, of course.”

“Of course you’d bloody well pay me. I won’t write for your rag for less than twenty grand.”

“Don’t be daft.” He sat bolt upright. “That’s crazy money.”

“Okay, fifteen, but that’s my final offer.”

“My editor’s a reasonable man. He’ll be more than happy to offer you a fair deal.”

“Okay,” she said, relenting. “I’m interested but why me? I’m sure I wasn’t top of your list.” She averted her gaze from the sight of him stuffing a scone into his mouth as if it had been days since he’d last eaten, then again, maybe it had been days; he was certainly looking skinnier than usual.

“Someone you used to know sent the letter.” Time stood still. She knew what he was about to say. The name chimed in her head before his lips formed the words. “Ross Campbell aka Teardrop.” She glanced out the window at the rain and the dark streets, longing to close her eyes and make Brendan disappear. “Did you hear me?” He searched her face that had turned pale beneath her tan.

“I heard you.” She gulped her coffee, willing her face to return to normal. She looked at him over her cup, but he didn’t seem to realise that anything was wrong. For once, she was grateful for his stupidity.

“Do you remember him?” he asked.

“Of course I remember him. How could I forget?”

Nine years previously, she had arrested Ross Campbell on suspicion of the murder of five women in London. The killer had carved a teardrop on the victims’ faces and left a note with quotes from the Bible on their bodies, shoved inside their underwear or grazing their skin in a final, vicious act of intimacy.

Campbell was picked up in one of London’s notorious red light districts. Licence plate checks proved that he’d been in the area on the nights when two victims had disappeared, DNA evidence linked him to their deaths.

Predictably, he protested his innocence, hounding newspapers and some influential acquaintances with his plight, but he was charged with the murders. However, the prosecution’s case against him collapsed when Elizabeth was falsely accused of planting DNA evidence to secure a conviction.

When she won her case for defamation against The Met, she decided to retire to Ireland, where she had spent many happy childhood summers. Shortly afterwards, Campbell vanished, and no one had heard from the killer known as Teardrop, until now.

“Ross Campbell is dead,” she said, realising that the silence had gone on too long.

“Vanished isn’t the same as dead,” Brendan replied.

“Nobody’s seen or heard from him in almost a decade. People like Campbell are noticed, whatever they do; they can’t help it. Someone somewhere would have seen him.”

“Maybe not. I’ve read about serial killers lying dormant for years.”

“Trust me, serial killers can’t stop killing.”

“Not according to the letter.” He pushed the envelope towards her. “Apparently, he’s alive and well.”

“Does it explain why he’s suddenly reappeared?”

“He wants to set the record straight.”

“Why did he contact you?”

He looked at her indignantly. Elizabeth stifled a smile. She knew all about the book on serial killers that Brendan had recently written, but she wanted to see him squirm. The book was mostly sensation and an insight into Brendan’s uninspired mind. “He wants to correct some facts in my book and he wants us to publish his letter.”

She burst out laughing. “Are you seriously planning on having a serial killer write a column in your newspaper? Maybe he should take over the problem page. I know: he could be your new resident agony uncle.”

“Keep it down,” he hissed, glancing over his shoulder at Nora who was busy behind the counter. “We need to keep this quiet for now.”

“I suppose it’s good publicity for your book.” She gazed out the window at the city that was slowly coming to life. The first of the early-morning commuters were venturing out. “What else is in the letter?”

“He says he’ll kill again.”

“Any details?”

“He gave a name.”

“Does he say when or where?”

“Not really. The letter’s vague, but he says it will happen in Cork.”

“Have you taken the letter to the police?”

“Not yet. It could be a hoax. Don’t look at me like I’m some moron. This is a good story. We’ll pass it on to the police when we’re ready.”

“How do I fit into your little plan?”

“We’d like you to read the letter and tell us if it’s genuine. You know Campbell.”

“I knew him: past tense.”

“Okay, you knew him. Sorry. You knew him better than most. Read the letter and tell us if it’s him, that’s all we want to know.” He paused, waiting for her reply, but she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Besides, his use of “we” and “us” was starting to irritate her. Clearly, he was getting too friendly with “the powers that be”, as he liked to call them. If it meant so much to him, she’d make him beg.

“Please, Elizabeth. Will you read it?”

“I’ll think about it, that’s all I’m promising. Call me later.”

“It’ll be worth your while. This is front-page news. There’ll be big money in it for all of us.”

“I thought you weren’t sure about printing it yet.”

“Well, you know how it goes.”

She knew.

“I have to go.” She stood up and pulled on her black parka. She was tall and striking. Her dark looks, which she’d inherited from her Italian mother, made her exotic among the mostly pale-skinned, freckled Irish. Her nose was slightly crooked from a childhood accident, and there was an edginess about her, like a bird about to swoop on its prey.

“Don’t forget the letter.” He picked it up reverently. “Promise you won’t show it to anyone?”

“Of course I won’t show it to anyone.” She reached for the envelope in irritation.

“Promise me?”

“I promise. Give me the bloody envelope.”

He handed it to her solemnly, and she grabbed it, stuffing it unceremoniously into her cavernous bag. She tossed her long, black hair over her shoulder and went outside into the rain, leaving Brendan to pay.

She sensed him watching as she forced herself not to run. There were only a few more steps before she turned the corner, out of sight. No one believed that Campbell was dead because only she knew the truth. Campbell had haunted her from the last moment she had seen him. He wasn’t coming back. He was dead, and she knew it because she’d killed him herself.

Joanne Clancy is a Kindle All-Star and an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarter-finalist. Joanne is an Irish mystery writer, from Cork, Ireland. She is an avid reader, a self-confessed Kindle addict, and a tea fiend!

Her books combine murder, mystery, and suspense with a twist of psychological drama.

Joanne’s latest release is TEAR DROP (Detective Elizabeth Ireland Crime Thriller Series, Book 1). She is currently working on her twenty-sixth book, INSINCERE (Detective Elizabeth Ireland Crime Thriller Series, Book 2) which is available to pre-order now at Amazon and will be released in October 2015.

Sign up for Joanne’s mailing list at JoanneClancy.com to receive three best-selling mystery books for FREE!

Lily Carter has one chance to save her family from destitution. She must marry.
The real question now is who? Lily longs for one man, but her attempts to attract Eric Sampson are foiled at every turn. Eric can’t see a future when he’s still tangled in his past, and Lily is forced to consider other suitors despite loving Eric.

When one suitor comes forward who could threaten Lily’s well-being, Eric must set his doubts about marriage aside to protect her. But events have been set in motion neither of them can stop. Will his past destroy both their futures?

The tips of his fingers slid down her neck and over her collarbone. “You are so beautiful. Try as I might, I can’t seem to stop thinking about you.”

Lily’s entire body tingled as his lips touched the skin of her collarbone. She had never felt anything like this before and it was utterly amazing. Without thinking, her head tilted back as his lips moved up her neck and along her jaw.

Lily could not think a reasonable thought. She could only feel, and she knew she did not want this to end.

Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachussetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

Janice Fisher’s childhood was what every little girl dreamed of—big house, lots of attention and rich parents who loved her. She’s a bit sheltered, maybe, but that’s okay. At least it’s okay until she starts college and ‘sheltered’ becomes overbearing and she’s forced into a career path they want.

Then she meets a boy… father approved… until said boy turns into someone she never expected. She’s worried and doesn’t know what to do.

Her classmate, Olympic swimming hopeful Deshawn Bell, tries to help her, even though her situation appears hopeless from every angle. He’s kind and sexy as hell. Their attraction to each other is intense. But neither of them are prepared for the hidden danger their relationship presents.

Find out what happens to Janice and Deshawn in the new adult thriller from Leslie Johnson. Love, Lies and Deceit is the first book of a series.

Janice thought she could handle her new assignment. Manipulating Tony’s confession should have been easy. A little kiss here, a flirty squeeze there. The plan was perfect. She’d get her life back and Tony would pay for his crimes.

Now she’s alone. Vulnerable. Afraid. Listening to talk of her and her lover’s demise. She doesn’t seem so smart now. In fact, she can’t believe she was so stupid to fall for a love covered in deceit and lies.

Part two of this romantic suspense has the two lovers fighting for their lives… and each other.

Welcome in the holiday season with 19 heartwarming and wholesome novellas from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors.

Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 takes you from the Smoky Mountains to Florida’s sun-drenched beaches, from the Italian Alps to Paris, France, and even to a quirky little town in Arizona. The Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 bundle features all-new, stand-alone stories that are sure to make you laugh, sometimes bring tears to your eyes, but always put you in the Christmas spirit. Foreword by New York Times bestselling author, RaeAnne Thayne.

Christmas Papa by Mona Risk
Living for three years in her grandmother’s respected house helps Monica forget the horror of her youth and reform her wild streak, and even dream of a normal life, similar to her stepsisters’, with a loving husband and children. Geez, she’s pretty enough to attract any man she wants, but to keep him is a different ballgame. The moment they learn of her past or meet her adorable twins, they feel the urge to move two-thousand miles away. Until Michael kisses her…

Gingerbread Kisses by Beate Boeker
Carol spends Christmas at the luxurious Hotel & Spa “Dolomitissimo” in the snowy Alps of Italy where she’s busy creating gingerbread men as name cards for her younger sister’s wedding. When things start to go wrong, she finds help in the form of Tom, the attractive hotel manager, but then, her sister manages to create havoc and Carol has to fight for her happiness.

Boycotting Christmas by Melinda Curtis
Bachelor Nick Santolli needs someone to help him give his niece a Christmas to remember. Back in the day, no one did Christmas better than Joy Encastle. But times have changed and Joy would prefer to boycott the festivities this year.

A Christmas to Remember by Denise Devine
Katie McGowan is returning home from a business trip when a blizzard forces her to take refuge at Lakewood Resort and miss celebrating Christmas with her family. The resort is overflowing with people, including Ryan Scott, an avid snowmobiler who’d come to Lakewood to escape the holidays. Ryan and Katie join forces to help others in need and learn the true meaning of Christmas.

An Angel for Christmas by Raine English
Alexa Stevens needs a job, or she and her daughter might wind up living out of the car. Blake Collins needs a nanny to help with his spoiled ten-year-old. What seems like the perfect match turns out to be anything but when the two girls and a rambunctious mutt create havoc at Christmas.

The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride by Aileen Fish
When veterinary student Tara seeks shelter in a snowstorm with handsome rancher Dylan, she quickly writes him off as boyfriend material since he’s more temperamental than an unbroken horse. Thanks to a job lined up half a state away, she’s not even tempted by a friend’s request that she move to White Oak, until she learns what has damaged Dylan’s spirit. Will a sickly calf and the magic of Christmas help her heal Dylan’s heart?

Lucky Break Christmas: Second Honeymoon by Patricia Forsythe
Lily is convinced that her new marriage to Marc is cursed because of a string of fiascoes. Marc knows she’s wrong. It takes the intervention of three body-building wedding planners and most of Lucky Break to change her mind.

Beach Walk by Grace Greene
Twelve years earlier, Kelli, a teenage runaway, was taken in by a kind woman named Margie who gave her a home, and safety and security. When Margie dies, her long lost nephew and only blood relative, arrives with plans of his own. Kelli loves her life at Emerald Isle, but how far will she go to keep it, or will Christmas bring a change of heart?

An Irish Christmas Blessing by Roxanne Rustand
When Eve travels to Ireland to run an old friend’s quaint village bookshop over the Christmas holidays, the trip is a dream come true—all the more because of the beautiful Irish countryside and the quirky locals in the village. And then there’s the charming, enigmatic stranger who just might steal her heart…

Christmas Wedding by Magdalena Scott
Jim Standish is ready—right this minute—to marry the love of his life, but Melissa Singer wants the day to be one they’ll look back on forever. Planning and execution time: 25days. Will it be possible to create the perfect Christmas Wedding?

Finding You at Christmas by Kristin Wallace
After years of looking out for everyone else, preacher’s daughter Janie Worthy is ready to get a life of her own. A stalled car and a stranger on a motorcycle puts that plan in a tailspin…and leads to the best Christmas present she could ever find.

Christmas Laurel by Christine Bush
Female army veteran Laurel Covington and her retired bomb dog have retreated to a cabin in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. She’s dealing with PTSD and a mind full of ugly war memories, and wants nothing more than solitude, quiet, and an escape from the clamor of Christmas. But then she meets the tall handsome mountain man who shares the mountain, and who has his own ghosts from the past to put to rest. Sometimes, the true meaning of Christmas can bring both healing and love when you least expect it.

Country Christmas by Lois Greiman
Emily Kane was tossed into the deep end of the foster care system years before, making her cautious of love and commitment. Securing her dream job at the Lazy Windmill, a working farm turned guest ranch, has begun the healing process. But the past can’t be shut out forever. Will familial reunions cause her to bolt back into hiding or will the magic of Christmas heal her heart and allow her to find her happily ever after?

The Christmas Crusade by Shanna Hatfield
Levi Clarke is on a crusade to create a merry Christmas for the patrons of Center for Hope community center. He’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen, even if it means seeking a sponsorship from Kat Kingsley, the woman too stubborn to realize she’s still in love with him.

The Christmas Charm by Susan R. Hughes
Gemma and Chris were childhood best friends until their lives took separate paths, both leading to heartache. Fifteen years later, a surprise reunion at Christmastime offers them a second chance at happiness.

Evergreen Romance by Julie Jarnagin
After giving up her plans for college to care for her ailing grandmother, Jillian Rogers has a shot at being promoted to project manager at the local nursery, but the owner’s son comes back into town and tries to take the job. Monty Nelson spent the last five years playing triple-A baseball after college but never made it into the major leagues. Now, he has returned to Lakota, Oklahoma, driven to show his parents he can succeed, but they stick him with running the Christmas tree lot with smarty-pants Jillian Rogers. When old sparks reignite, Jillian and Monty must determine whether their romance will wither or if they’ve found everlasting love.

My Christmas Cupcake by Shaleen Kapil
Clare thinks she is doomed to spend the holiday alone managing her new cupcake bakery until a handsome stranger appears just as she is closing up on Christmas Eve. Despite an instant attraction, Starfish Beach is a tourist town, and Clare has learned to be wary. How can she tempt Garrett, a university professor, to move to her small town when all she can offer are cupcakes?

A Christmas Spark by Ciara Knight
Sara Foster blames herself for her failed marriage. On Christmas Eve, she hides away in the family cabin, the same place her father abandoned her twenty years ago. Dalton Scot is unable to face the family holiday after his divorce and discovering he can never have children of his own, so he chooses Christmas Eve to fix his buddy’s cabin. Both search for a secluded spot to mourn their Christmas pasts, but instead are snowed in at the cabin for the holiday where they discover the power of the Christmas spark.

Sweet Blizzard by Milou Koenings
He’s an ex-con, she’s a socialite. He saves her life when a blizzard strands them together, but she could make or break his. Will love make it all right in time for Christmas?

A tireless traveler, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Mona Risk, writes contemporary romance, medical romance, and romantic suspense novels, all simmering with emotion, sprinkled with a good dose of humor and set in the fascinating places she visited— or in Florida, her paradise on Earth.

Beate Boeker is a USA Today bestselling author with a passion for books that brim over with mischief & humor. She writes sweet sophisticated romantic fiction and mysteries, many of them set in beautiful Italy. While ‘Boeker’ means ‘books’ in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with happy endings?

Denise Devine is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedy and she also writes inspirational fiction. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at thirteen and has been writing ever since. She writes about true love, happy endings and stories that touch your heart.

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Raine English writes sweet small-town contemporary romances, as well as hotter paranormal and Gothic romantic suspense. She lives in New England with her family and her French bulldog, Bailey.

USA Today bestselling author Aileen Fish is an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren’t enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her “to do” list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. Her books include The Bridgethorpe Brides series and the Small Town Sweethearts series.

Patricia Forsythe grew up in a small copper mining town in Arizona where she had the opportunity to observe a great many interesting people who have since turned up in her books. She has written many romances for Harlequin books (as Patricia Knoll), as well as indie-published books and enjoys creating the kinds of stories she hopes people want to read.

Grace Greene writes novels of romance, mystery and suspense. A Virginia native, Grace has family ties to North Carolina. She writes books set in both locations. The Emerald Isle, NC Stories series is set in North Carolina where “It’s always a good time for a love story and a trip to the beach.” Or travel down Virginia Country Roads and “Take a trip to love, mystery and suspense.”

USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Rustand is the author of thirty-five traditionally published novels, plus four indie novels. She was a Golden Heart finalist twice, and a Golden Heart winner in 1995. She has won two RT Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and was nominated for an RT Magazine Career Achievement Award. Her earlier books were secular, but she now writes sweet indie romance, and inspirational romance for Love Inspired.

USA Today bestselling author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and women’s fiction with small town settings. She invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots you can barely see on the map—mystery, romance, and the occasional unexplained occurrence.

Kristin Wallace is a USA Today bestselling author of inspirational, contemporary and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith.” Her popular series include the Covington Falls Chronicles and Shellwater Key Tales.

Christine Bush is an award winning author of many sweet romances, mysteries, and novellas. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching Psychology at a local college, working as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or (mostly) spending time with her twelve grandchildren.

Lois Greiman is an award winning author who has penned more than 50 heart-warming, laugh out loud novels. She currently lives on a small farm in Minnesota with her best friends, some of whom are human.

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen one story at a time. Her bestselling sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with characters that seem incredibly real.

Julie Jarnagin is a multi-published author of sweet and inspirational romance. She grew up in a small Oklahoma town where her family farmed and ranched, but these days she lives in a not-so-big city with her husband and two young sons who tolerate all her nerdy quirks.

Shaleen Kapil is new and upcoming author. Her first book, None But You, debuted in 2014. Her latest stories are built around the Emerald Coast of Florida, a favorite vacation spot. She created the Starfish Beach series to allow readers to enjoy a taste of romance in a laid-back beach setting.

Ciara Knight writes ‘a little bit of edge and a lot of heart’ with her bestselling sweet romance and young adult stories that have topped the Amazon charts. When not writing, Ciara enjoys her own happily ever after with her husband and three sons living in suburbia, GA.

Milou Koenings writes heartwarming romance novels because she believes sweet stories with happy endings are like chocolate – they bring joy to the world and so make it a better place. She’s lived all over the world, working as an editor and newspaper columnist, but loves staying home with her family most of all.

Known to the K2 Special Services team as “Saint,” Jamie Turner lives by his own strict rules to compensate for his past sins and the two-ton boulder taking residence in his heart. He doesn’t drink or smoke. He never swears. And he only dates nice, safe women until he meets Sugar Darling, the fill-in receptionist at K2. She’s as sweet as her name, but this wild woman is definitely trouble, with something to hide. He knows he should avoid her…but can he?

Sugar isn’t hiding something—she’s hiding everything. And K2 seems like the perfect place to lie low, thanks to the big, protective guys who work there. The drop-dead-handsome Saint makes her heart race, yet he keeps his distance. When Sugar’s traumatic past rises up to haunt her again, she desperately turns to Saint for help, and he has to decide what’s more important: playing it safe or risking everything for love.

Jamie backed the twenty-three foot Sea Ray away from the dock. Sugar sat on the padded seat next to him, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. He loved his boat and wanted her to love it, too. Why that mattered, he chose not to think about.

By the color of her face, however, he thought she was only minutes from hanging her head over the side. It hadn’t occurred to him to ask if she was prone to seasickness, but they were only a few yards from the marina, the water as smooth as glass.

To divert her attention, he slipped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. “You steer.”

“Shit, no.”

She tried to scramble away, but he held onto her. “Easy, sweetheart. Just put your hands here.” He brought up her unwilling hands and wrapped her fingers around the wheel. Her knuckles turned white. “I won’t let you run into anything.”

An annoyed breath huffed from her. “Shows what you know. If there’s anything within a hundred miles I shouldn’t run into, you probably won’t be able to stop me. Have you already forgotten the beer truck near miss?”

“I remember. Gave me nightmares.” Jamie pressed his mouth to the side of her neck and grinned, although the reminder should probably have him quaking in his flip-flops and in fear for the life of his boat. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she liked having control. Already, her fingers were turning back to a healthy pink, and the green was fading from her cheeks.

As she darted alert glances left and right, he eased up the throttle, giving her a little more speed. Minutes later, she gave a delighted laugh as they bounced over the small waves coming in from the inlet.

“Where am I supposed to be going?” she called over the roar of the motors.

“Straight ahead.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, liking the feel of her against his body.

She peered back at him, her eyes as wide as saucers. “In the ocean?”

“You a scaredy cat?” Unless he missed his guess, the woman wouldn’t refuse a dare.

Her lips thinned into a determined line. “Hell, no.”

It took every bit of his control not to laugh when she tossed her straw hat aside, stood and practically pressed her nose to the windshield. Any desire to laugh died at the sight of her eye-level bikini clad bottom clearly visible through the gauzy cover-up. Unfortunately, the parrot painted on the back blocked out enticing parts of her. Figuring more speed would keep her focused on her driving, he moved the throttle forward some more.

“Just keep going in the direction you are. You want to keep inside the red and green buoys.” He’d checked the weather before inviting her, and knew there’d only be slight swells on the gulf.

“Piece of cake,” she said, and he heard the excitement in her voice. “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”

Her steady stream of self-encouragement brought a grin to his face. “What are you, the little choo-choo that can?”

Laughter flowed from her. “Yep, that’s me.”

Giving in to the need to touch her, he placed his hands at her knees, then trailed his fingers up her legs, his thumbs stroking the soft flesh of the inside of her thighs. He slipped under the cover-up, and when he reached that lovely ass in front of his face, her rounded cheeks rippled as the pads of his fingers danced over her skin. So, she liked that.

And he liked the little yellow bikini. Very much. All he had to do to get it off was pull the bows dangling down the sides of her hips. To test her reaction, he gave one a light tug and got swatted.

“Stop it.” She brushed his hand away. “I can’t concentrate when you do that.”

He’d get her out of it before the afternoon was over. He hoped. For now, she was coming up on the inlet, and she didn’t have the experience to get them through the pass. Standing, he pressed against her and eased back on the throttle. With his hands on her shoulders, he talked her past the shoals and incoming waves.

“I did it!” she cried when the last of the rock wall was behind them.

“You certainly did.” The excitement dancing in her eyes when she looked back at him reminded him of a child on Christmas morning. Once into the Gulf of Mexico, the boat rode the gentle swells as easily as a bobbing cork. He reached his arms forward and put his hands over hers, turning the wheel to the left.

She laughed, then pushed his hands away. “This is so great. I’ve never been on a boat before, and I love it.”

Jamie sat back down, letting her have the wheel. His Sea Ray was his one true love, and his heart gave a little flip at her words. The October day was perfect, warm enough not to be chilled by the wind, but not so hot they were sweltering. A line of pelicans flew overhead, their fat bodies and long beaks outlined by the stark blue sky.

When they took the lead, Sugar bounced on her feet. “Can we go faster? Please. Oh, pretty please.”

“The throttle’s there at your right hand. Just remember, we’re not on a NASCAR racetrack and you’re not Earnhardt.”

She let out a shriek and pushed the throttle forward, catching up with the pelicans. “Y’all have nothing on me, ya beady-eyed bastards,” she yelled heavenward, shaking a fist at them.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and laughter spilled out of him, coming from places he thought he’d closed and locked the doors to forever. He tried to imagine Jill—or any of the other women he’d dated the past ten years—racing a flock of birds and…giving them the finger?

“Sore losers,” she muttered.

Jamie glanced behind him to see the pelicans veer off toward shore. “Appears they are. Is this where I’m supposed to soak you with champagne?”

“A simple, you’re awesome, Sugar, will suffice.” She glanced back and shot him a grin.

The woman was pure awesome, a fact he couldn’t deny. A funny thing happened then. As clear as day, he saw a fork in the road. One kept him going in the direction a scared, young man once decided was his destiny, a way to honor the parents he’d killed. The other might lead him to hell or heaven. There was no way to know which, only that a beautiful, vibrant woman with the unlikely name of Sugar Darling dared him to follow.

A best selling, award-winning author, Sandra Owens lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her family and friends often question her sanity, but have ceased being surprised by what she might get up to next. She’s jumped out of a plane, flown in an aerobatic plane while the pilot performed thrilling stunts, has flown Air Combat (two fighter planes dogfighting, pretending to shoot at each other with laser guns), and rode a Harley motorcycle for years. She regrets nothing.

Sandra is a 2013 Golden Heart® Finalist for her contemporary romance, CRAZY FOR HER. In addition to her contemporary romantic suspense novels, she writes Regency stories.

Recommended for 18+ Check out the first books in 6 separate series by Kathi S. Barton. Each of these full length novels can stand alone.

Rembrandt – Blood Brotherhood Series
Sapphire – Rare Gems Series
Force of Nature – Force of Nature Series
Nickolas – The Grant Brothers Series
Cain – The Waite Family Series
Royce – The Hunter Series

Rembrandt

Skylar Manning was just trying to be nice. The mysterious man dressed in black was hanging around after closing…again. It was the third time this week. Only this time he grabbed her arm. Her world changed forever.
Suddenly she found herself hunted by shadowy figures with razor sharp teeth, and into the arms of a warrior who craved her as much as she did him…

Sapphire

Blair tries to convince himself that he’s chasing after Sapphire because he feels an overwhelming need to protect her and she just won’t follow orders. When he comes across as a complete jerk, Sapphire really wants no part of him. Of course, leaving him isn’t going to work…she’s his mate. Now, if only he can get his head out of his ass, learn to treat Sapphire the way she should be treated, maybe, just maybe, there is a chance for them…that is unless Jeffery Benetton finds her first…

Force of Nature

Austin didn’t want to be impressed by her. He didn’t want to like her. He wanted her to obey him, whelp a few pups so she wouldn’t be bored and run his house for him. CJ wanted to do as she please which included maybe murdering the Alpha in his sleep. The two of them coming together is wonderfully steamy and sarcastic wit. Austin and CJ will make great alpha’s…or will they?

Nickolas

Nickolas Grant doesn’t know what to do when he finally realizes that he needs Morgan Becky for more than just his secretary. He doesn’t trust her… not with his love not even his friendship.

Morgan has not had an easy life and finds it difficult to trust others. She needs to get her life in order, not fall for her handsome boss with a stiff spine and foul temper.
When they come together in fiery passion and biting words, no one is safe, not even them.

Cain

The girl went by many names. Julie was the one the nurse called her, Shade and also Miss Rocky was just a few more. But it was her real name that she held to her. No one must know who she was or they’d try and kill her. And the good doctor was someone she decided that.

Royce

Royce and Kasey have a love that extends over time and could make them very happy…if they don’t kill each other first.

Hello! My name is Kathi Barton and I’m a award winning, best selling author of dark fantasy erotic paranormal romance . I have been married to my very best friend Paul, a potter, for at times seems several lifetimes – in a good way, honey. And together we have three wonderful children and then the ones we brought into the world – Paul and Dale Barton, Jason and Wendy Barton and Danielle and Ben Conklin. They have given us eight of the greatest treasures on Earth. They don’t live at home seven days a week! No, seriously, eight grandchildren – Gavin, Spring, Ben, Trinity, Sarah, Kelly, Kian and Bailee